2021

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Role of language in legal process
(UMT Lahore, 2021) Arbab Fatima
This study aims at investigating the linguistic features used by the lawyers for the construction of rape victims’ identity and representation of violence in rape cases, at Lahore High Court, Pakistan. The transcripts of the proceedings of the 10 rape trial cases were used to examine the linguistic features for the construction of rape victims’ identity. By using Leech and Short (2007) model of stylistic analysis, the linguistic features were analyzed at two levels; lexical and syntactic. The findings revealed that the lawyers during the rape cases deal with the victims in a very different way according to the subtle nature of the case. The victims particularly women who had suffered pain, trauma, torture, and cruelty also dealt with society’s rape victim blaming practices and attitudes. The findings would assist the lawyer. It is anticipated that the findings of the study would assist the lawyers to present the evidence in a way that would meet the demands of a fair trial and justice. The study may contribute to the field of Legal Linguistics in Pakistan.